CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –– John Carter Jr. made five three-point field goals, none bigger than one with 24 seconds left that provided enough of a cushion for the Navy men's basketball team to defeat 25^th-ranked Virginia, 66-58, Tuesday night at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.
 
The victory in the season opener for both teams was the first for the Mids against a nationally ranked team since defeating Syracuse in the second round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament.
 
"Obviously it is a very big win for our team," said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis.  "I'm really proud of our kids.  It was a great atmosphere in here.  First time with fans for everyone.  We really kept our composure and continued to try and make some plays on both ends of the floor.
 
"I am really happy for our kids.  They played hard and made some plays.  Really proud of them, 
 
Five of Navy's first six baskets of the night were three-point field goals.  Sean Yoder accounted for three of those triples to help the Mids to a 17-14 lead.  Navy would take a 21-16 lead with 11:40 remaining in the half and then increased its lead to 26-19.  The Mids would eventually go in front 37-29 following a basket by Richard Njoku with 4:52 left on clock.
 
The Cavaliers cut the lead in half in less than 60 seconds and that resulted in DeChellis calling a timeout with the Mids in front, 37-33, with 3:50 remaining.  Navy weathered the storm and went into halftime holding a 42-35 lead.  Carter (4-4) and Sean Yoder (3-3) accounted for seven of the team's eight three-point field goals made in the first 20 minutes of play to help Navy lead for 16:09 of the frame.
 
"It comes down to our defense and leadership on this time," said Carter about Navy's great start to the game.
 
Navy struggled a bit in the early part of the second half as it scored on just one of its first seven possessions, which let Virginia close to within 44-42 with 17:26 left.  The Mids bounced back and soon took a 48-42 lead on a triple by Christian Silva with 16:05 showing on the clock.
 
Fouls started to add up for the Mids as the Cavaliers entered the bonus with 13:52 still to play.  Virginia chipped away at the deficit thanks to going 5-6 from the foul line in the first seven minutes of the half and drew to within two points at both 51-49 and 53-51 (12:02 left).  The game was then tied at 53-53 after two more free throws by the Cavaliers with 10:46 left.
 
The game was again tied at 55-55 with 8:45 remaining when both teams went into a scoring drought.  Yoder broke the lull with a layup, then soon grabbed an offensive board and scored on the putback to give the Mids a 59-55 lead with 3:42 remaining on the clock.  Neither team scored until Daniel Deaver scored on a putback with 2:10 left, then Carter drilled his three-point field goal to make the score 64-55 with 25.4 seconds left.
 
"We called a play," said Carter, "and the defense played it one way and we just took what they gave us.  Deaver slipped it –– we knew they were hard hedge –– he caught it, read the defense really well and I was just the next open man.  It was ready for the shot.  We have to make those shots to win a game like this." 
 
Armann Franklin answered with a trey for Virginia to make the score 64-58 with 14.2 remaining.  Carter was fouled on the inbounds pass (12.7) but that was just the fifth foul on Virginia.  Two more fouls and Yoder went to the line with 11.5 seconds still to play.  He missed the front end of the bonus and the Cavaliers grabbed the rebound.  They pushed the ball down the court but missed a three-point attempt.  Deaver snared the carom and was fouled with just over two seconds remaining.  He made both attempts to close out the scoring.
 
The Mids were 11-21 from three-point range to shoot 52 percent from beyond the arc.  That bettered the 4-15 effort from long range by the Cavaliers.  Navy made three-point field goals in all than Virginia, 24-21, but the Cavaliers were 12-17 from the foul line compared to a 7-10 showing by the Mids.
 
Navy also won the rebounding battle, 35-30, with Virginia turning the ball over 14 times and forcing 17. 
 
"I wish I could say, 'we did this (to get the win,' but there really wasn't anything glaring," said DeChellis.  "We scrimmaged a really long Delaware team about 10 days ago and afterward we went back to basics.
 
"We wanted to keep the ball moving (on offense).  Drive and pitch, drive and pitch.  They are such a tall team inside and we are not that tall.  We didn't think we could get in there on the drive.  Get it in the post and get it out of the post.  And we shot the ball really well tonight."
 
Carter ended the game with 19 points with his only basket of the second half coming on that late tripe.  Yoder, who was 6-7 from the floor, added 15 points and Greg Summers contributed eight points.  Deaver posted a stats line of seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
 
"This team is an older group," said DeChellis.  "We have won some games.  Our teams plays with some confidence and poise.  We talked about mental and physical toughness coming into this environment.  If you make a mistake you have to let it roll off it and move on.  That's mental toughness.  Physical toughness, we have to win rebounding.  We talk defending, rebounding and take care of the ball.  If we win two of those three, we win.  We got the rebounding margin tonight and defensively, we shot a little better than them."
 
Virginia was led by Jayden Gardner with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
 
"I thanked (Virginia head coach) Tony (Bennett) for the opportunity to play here," said DeChellis.  "He obviously is a great coach and this is a great team.  I respect the heck out of the program he has put together.  It is always great to come in here and play a class team and a class university."
 
Navy will open the home portion of its season Friday when it plays host to Virginia Tech in the second game of the Veterans Classic doubleheader.  Richmond and Utah State will play in the first game.